Of all the classic 1950s vintage Rolex, this has to be one of our favourites. The wonderful Bombé sculptured lugs case and the period gold ‘Hearts and Arrows’ white dial are simply beautiful and a combination we never ever tire of. In fact, this could be the most attractive gentleman’s Rolex automatic dress watch by far! Here in 14ct yellow gold and fully restored to its immaculate original condition, it is now ready and set for many more years of faithful service!

The Dial

1950s vintage Rolex dials are, we feel, some of the best examples of style and classic elegance. This particular dial with its Rolex Coronet at 12 o’clock, and applied gold ‘Hearts and Arrows’ hour indices around a plain white dial, is one of the most beautiful dials of this period by any watch manufacturer. This dial is in particularly stunning condition due to the superb work of our dial restorers. It is simply immaculate.

This is the original dial which has been expertly restored to the very highest standards, by our dial restorers, which are considered to be the best in the UK.

The lens has been replaced with a new original Rolex part.

The Case

Again, very special in having the most attractive and the most desirable Bombé sculptured lugs, also often referred to as ‘Bombay’ lugs. This removes the block angles of the Oyster case and replaces these with the much softer and more fluid lines of the Bombé dress watch design. Compared side by side with the usual Oyster case, this looks far more classy and once you know the difference, there is no going back! These are rare watches, so if you see one and you like it, we recommend you grab it because they are rare and prices are climbing. This time last year we were buying and restoring these for around 20% less, and the year before, the same!

After careful examination, this lightly used example has only required professional cleaning and very careful gentle hand-polishing to bring its solid 14ct yellow gold case back to showroom condition. The case is showing hardly any signs of wear and even with careful examination under high magnification, we struggled to find any scratches, dings, damage or signs of overpolishing. The screw-back case-back has a new rubber seal and this is also in “as new’ condition. It is high polished, of full thickness, and has never been engraved. The case measures just over 33mm wide, excluding the Rolex Oyster crown, and 40mm including the lugs. Inside the case-back, all is as expected and signed MONTRES ROLEX SA, GENEVA SWISS, PATENTED with the Rolex model number 1011. It also carries all the appropriate twin hallmarks for Geneva and 14ct 0.585 gold, along with its case serial number 580901 on the outside of the case, between the lugs at ‘6’, which dates the watch to 1954.

As ever our standard advice applies: Vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times and not relied upon to be waterproof, no matter what the original specification.

The Movement

The high grade, Rolex Calibre 1560 automatic movement is running perfectly following a complete overhaul and service by our vintage Rolex specialist watchmaker. This involves completely dismantling the movement to all its component parts, close examination and replacement where necessary with only genuine Rolex parts, then careful reassembly and lubrication with only Rolex specified lubricants. This particular movement looks incredibly clean and winds and sets very nicely just as it should. When tested following its overhaul, this watch was found to be keeping superb time to within +2 seconds per day! This is incredibly good for any watch of this age so we are therefore highly confident in offering this watch for sale with our 12 months warranty* – If there happen to be any issues within the first 12 months, you will be very welcome to send the watch back to us for our prompt attention, repair and return.

The movement is again all correctly signed: ‘MONTRES ROLEX SA GENEVA’, ‘SWISS’, with the calibre number 1560 and ‘TWENTY FIVE JEWELS’ with the reference number D18638. These movements are incredibly strong, accurate and reliable and with regular servicing, say around every 3 to 4 years, we would fully expect this watch to run very happily for another lifetime at least! We will be more than happy to assist you with competitive servicing in the future.

Please note, even though all the rubber seals on the crown and the case-back have been replaced … and even though this watch was sold as waterproof when new, this has not been tested and it is not guaranteed. Vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.

The Strap and Buckle

A high quality Brown crocodile strap has been fitted with a gold plated Rolex buckle. Please note, we feel this strap matches the watch nicely, however, if a different colour or style of strap is preferred, please let us know and we will do our best to oblige free of charge. We carry tan, conker, dark brown and black in stock in plain padded leather, crocodile skin or lizard skin and we can obtain most other types and colours at short notice.

The Box and Papers

Although there is no original paperwork with this watch, the reference numbers, signatures and hallmarks are all correct, dating this watch to 1954. Detailed particulars of the watch will be included with the receipt and 12 month Warranty* and a separate insurance valuation for the replacement value which will be provided at the time of sale. This will also include our ‘Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee’ which states: “If this watch proves to be anything less than 100% genuine, authentic and original, a full refund will be given at any time”.

In Conclusion

This is a truly outstanding example of a 1950s vintage Rolex automatic which is ready to wear and very appropriate and practical for regular everyday use. It is also a highly collectable piece, from horology’s most famous name, which if treated with care will provide an excellent financial investment as well as something to treasure and enjoy!

Even though vintage gold Rolex watch prices continue to climb, we still feel sure that top class examples such as this are still underpriced. This is because as time passes and the world market for vintage gold Rolex watches continues to grow, the finite supply means prices will inevitably continue to climb.

A word about our prices – We always try our hardest to acquire the very highest quality watches we can find, before restoring these to the highest possible standards. We then offer these at the fairest prices we can, taking into account our pre and post sales care and service. This approach means we will never be the cheapest, but nor will we be the most expensive. Indeed there are many famous vintage watch stores in West London which are very successful charging between two to three times the price you see here. We therefore consider our prices to be very fair, given the quality of watches we have to offer.

We are happy to accept Paypal as this is the quickest method of payment. However, if you would like to pay by UK cheque or by UK bank transfer we will be pleased to assist you with this and pass on a 3% transaction saving to you. Similarly, if you wish to pay by International SWIFT or Bank Wire Transfer, we will provide you with our BIC / Swift number and our IBAN number.

Please note we welcome part exchanges, along with outright purchases of similar watches for us to restore, service and list. We can also offer Watch Service, Watch Repair & Watch Restoration, please see here.

If you have any questions please call 020 7727 7095 or 07515 949 250 or +44 7515949250 if calling from overseas.